Club Agrotera
by nonvoxsedvotum
Summary: A PJO/HoO AU wherein the Hunters are exotic dancers at a club owned by Artemis and frequented by the boys of the series.


Never in a million years would Bianca di Angelo have thought she would end up as an exotic dancer. Until a few days ago, she had been looking forward to a life looking after her little brother while she got a respectable job in an office or a shop. The prospect hadn't excited her, but she had been resigned to it. That is, until she met Thalia Grace.

Thalia walked into the small coffee shop where Bianca worked like she owned the place, strutting in wearing knee-high leather boots, a cropped leather jacket and tank top, short shorts, and fishnet stockings to top the whole thing off.

She gave her order, and Bianca asked, "Name?"

"Thalia," she said. "And you?"

"My name's Bianca," she said, a little startled by the question—most customers didn't take much interest in the employees.

"You don't look happy," Thalia said, leaning on the counter.

"Oh, I'm fine," Bianca said. "Just…the daily grind, you know."

Thalia's eyes gleamed. "You wouldn't be in the market for a new job, would you?"

Bianca shrugged. "I might be. Why?"

"I think we might be able to offer you something a little…different. You like dancing?"

"Well, yes, but…" Bianca pointedly looked Thalia up and down. "What _kind _of dancing?"

Thalia shrugged easily. "So maybe it involves a pole and less clothing than considered socially acceptable. You still want to give it a go?"

Normally, Bianca would have refused, but something about the glimmer in Thalia's eyes made her feel a little reckless. "Sure, I'll consider it," she said.

"Here. Take this." Thalia handed her a silver business card embossed with the words _Club Agrotera _in script font, along with a few words of description.

"'The Hunters?'" Bianca read. She looked up, confused. "I thought you were a dancer."

Thalia laughed, not unkindly. "_Agrotera _means 'huntress' in Greek, so Lady A calls us the Hunters as her own little in-joke. The name kind of stuck with the regulars, so we got it printed on our business cards."

"Lady A?"

"She's the owner of the club. She's a little strict, but she takes care of us." Thalia tapped the card. "Think about it and give us a call." She took her drink, smiled Bianca, and left.

/

A couple of weeks later, Bianca wove through the platforms on the main floor behind Thalia, feeling somewhat intimidated. She had no idea how to pole dance. She'd never been in a strip club in her life. What had she been thinking, calling up the number on that card? And why had she gone through with it and showed up today?

"Let me think…there are only a couple of rules," Thalia said. "Let me see if I can remember them all."

"No boyfriends, no alcohol on the job, put the logo somewhere on you, wear the silver heels, pick your personal dance song, and tell someone if something happens that you do not like," a voice said from behind the two.

Bianca turned to see a girl walking down the steps from the upper floor. She would be tall even without the silver stilettos she wore, and had coppery skin and long, dark hair. She carried herself like a queen, and Bianca briefly wondered if this was Lady A.

"Zoë," Thalia said. "You're dressed early."

"I wanted to practice," Zoë said. As she drew closer, Bianca could see she had thin silver cords braided into her hair. "And you should, too. Kara called off sick today, so we will be short a dancer." Her eyes fell on Bianca. "Oh, you must be the new girl. I am Zoë Nightshade."

She held out a hand and Bianca shook it, feeling self-conscious. She hadn't even tried walking in the heels yet; how was she supposed to dance and carry herself as gracefully as this girl did?

As Zoë pulled her hand away, Bianca noticed that she had the club's logo—a crescent moon forming a bow with an arrow—tattooed on the inside of her wrist. She wondered how long you had to work somewhere to get the logo permanently inked onto your body—though Zoë didn't look much older than Bianca.

"So those are the rules?" Bianca asked.

"They are. If you forget any, they are posted in the dressing room." She walked on, mounting one of the smaller stages.

"See that center stage?" Thalia asked. "The one with the catwalk?"

"Yeah."

"You get to dance there once or twice per night. Lady A likes to showcase her dancers, so you'll pick a song and choreograph a dance for it. Any song you want—but try to keep it classy, all right? Lady A runs a top-notch establishment, after all."

/

The first week was so overwhelming that Bianca could barely tell up from down. Thalia was her savior, teaching her how to walk in the club-issued silver stilettos and helping her figure out her dance outfit.

"I want something sexy, you know?" Bianca said. "But not too over-the-top."

Thalia nodded. "I'm thinking crop top and boy shorts, and maybe some sheer black stockings. And you could throw a fishnet top over it all if you wanted."

So that was what Bianca had gone with, and she had to admit she looked great in it. She also felt ten times more confident, which was good. Lady A often talked about how confidence was the key to being a good dancer and—by extension—getting patrons.

Bianca made her way to the dressing room. It was larger than Bianca had first expected; with couches, a mini fridge, curtained-off changing stalls, and showers—"To wash off the sweat and glitter at the end of the night," Thalia explained.

Bianca dropped her duffel bag onto one of the couches. "Hey, Phoebe. Is Thalia here yet?"

Phoebe swallowed the swig of energy drink she'd just taken. "Dunno. I haven't seen her."

"And Zoë?"

"Warming up onstage."

Sure enough, as Bianca made her way into the main part of the club, she heard the orchestral strains of the opening to "Shadows of the Night/Harden My Heart." Zoë stretched on the main stage, placing the heel of one foot up against the pole and leaning forward until her legs were almost completely parallel to the pole.

Bianca knew Zoë worked for years to get that kind of flexibility, but she was still jealous. Zoë made it look so _easy_—and that was probably why she was one of the most popular dancers at the club.

With effortless grace, Zoë pulled herself up and began her more complicated aerial moves on the pole, the ones that relied on enormous upper body strength and precision to ensure she didn't wind up faceplanting on the stage. Bianca had yet to gather the courage to try anything like that—she'd done some off-the-ground work, but never anything that involved taking her legs off the pole.

"It's a process," Thalia had explained to her one day as they rehearsed. "You won't be up and doing flips and windmills and so on within your first month. Hell, don't even expect to do those within your first year. It takes time, just like everything else."

"Looking good, Zoë," Bianca said as the older girl dropped back to the stage.

Zoë gave her a brief smile and adjusted her black-and-silver leotard. It was one of the more modest costumes in the club, its only truly revealing part being the slashes across the chest. Still, Zoë looked amazing in it, and it fit her dance style well.

"You should warm up," Zoë said. "The club will open before you know it."

"Yes, ma'am," Bianca said with a smile. She started to head back to the dressing room.

"And Bianca," Zoë called after her. "If thy brother shows up and pesters thee again, I will ask Lady A to throw him out."

Bianca had never figured out why Zoë throw around _thee_'s and _thy_'s like it was the fifteenth century, but she didn't think it her place to ask. "You don't have to do that," she replied. "He's not really bothering me."

Zoë frowned. "He is distracting thee from thy work and losing thee costumers. I think that is bothersome enough."

"I can handle it, Zoë. But thanks anyway."

Zoë only _hmph_ed and hoisted herself back onto the pole to continue practicing. Bianca went back to the dressing room to change. Zoë was right; the club would open soon and Bianca wanted to be nice and limber by the time patrons started showing up. She hoped it would be a successful night.

/

"I am _not _going to a strip club."

Jason gave Percy an exasperated look. "What's the big deal? It's not like it's a _strip _club, even. You're just going to watch them dance. It's like the ballet or something, just…with less clothing."

Percy crossed his arms. "That's a terrible comparison, first of all. And second, the 'big deal' is that I have a girlfriend."

"So do I, you idiot."

Percy glared at Jason. His friends had gotten him to do some stupid things in the past, but this was the stupidest thing by far. If Annabeth found out…no, he didn't even want to think about it.

"What, and you think Piper likes it?"

"Sure she does. She's even gone with me a few times." Jason crossed his arms. "I bet Annabeth wouldn't mind joining you if you asked."

"I'm pretty sure Piper just goes to keep you out of trouble. And _no_, I'm not asking Annabeth to come with."

"Can you guys stop arguing and make up your minds already?" Luke said. He stood at the door, keys in hand. "We don't have all night."

"Quit being a wet blanket and let's just go," Jason said. "It'll be fun."

"You know what?" Percy said. "Fine. Fine, I'll go. But just this once, and neither of you tell Annabeth, all right?"

"Yeah, we promise," Jason said. "Right, Luke?"

"Sure," Luke said. He ducked into his bedroom for a moment and emerged with a dress shirt and slacks, which he tossed at Percy.

Percy caught them before they could hit him in the face. "What are these for?"

"It's not like you can go wearing _that_," Luke said. "It's a gentlemen's club, after all."

Percy sighed and ducked into the bathroom to change.

Some twenty minutes later, Luke parked his car outside a downtown club that Percy had somehow never noticed before. It looked clean and fairly high-end, which surprised Percy a little bit. He didn't think Luke had the income to support a habit like this.

"Club Agrotera, huh?" he said. "Sounds fancy."

"It is, so remember to behave like a gentleman, would you?" Luke said. "I'd hate to get kicked out."

A young woman in a silver and white tunic-style dress greeted at the hostess's podium. Her auburn hair was caught back with a silver headband. Though she didn't look much older than Percy, there was something about her expression that made her seem almost timeless, like she'd seen and done a lot in her lifetime.

"Welcome to Club Agrotera," she said. "I'm Artemis, the owner. You're new," she added, looking Percy right in the eye.

"Um, yes," he said, a little startled that she'd noticed him, half-hidden behind Luke and Jason as he was.

"I'm sure you know how to conduct yourself, but in case you're unsure, the rules are posted on our website. And I'm also sure your friends will be more than happy to inform you of them." She raised an eyebrow. "I'd rather not have to kick anyone out, so please behave yourself, Mr. Jackson."

"Yes, ma'am," Percy said. It wasn't until later that he realized he'd never told her his name.

Despite its classy atmosphere, the club wasn't very populated. Percy wondered if it was because it was too early for many people to be out or because the place was just that exclusive. Some patrons sat at the bar, while others lounged around the many small stages where girls danced. The center stage, however, was empty.

Luke caught a lithe girl with short, blue-streaked black hair around the waist as she passed. "Hey there," he said.

"Watch those hands," she said mock-sternly. "Wouldn't want Lady A to throw you out."

He waved the comment off but let her go. With a grin, she sauntered off. Something about her was familiar to Percy, but he couldn't figure out how for a moment until he realized she and Jason had the same bright blue eyes.

"Hey! Wasn't that your sister?"

"Yup," Jason said, looking around as though searching for someone.

"And this doesn't _bother _you?"

He shrugged. "Why should it? She's an adult. I can't help the fact that she happens to work at the best club in town."

"Um…okay." Percy wasn't sure if he would feel the same way in Jason's position, but it didn't matter.

"Pour Some Sugar On Me" started to play and Luke punched Percy on the arm. "Shut up, Thalia's going to dance," he said.

"How do you know—?"

"Because this is her song. And I said shut _up_."

Thalia sauntered down the catwalk of the main stage, seemingly in no hurry to get onstage. She paused briefly to give Luke a small wave, then started her dance.

"That's, um, athletic," Percy said, seeing Thalia perform seemingly gravity-defying acrobatics on the pole. As he watched, she hung upside-down and plucked a bill from Luke's outstretched hand.

"Yup," Jason said, eyes on a dancer at one of the smaller stages. "You got any singles?"

"You came to a strip club without any singles?"

Jason said nothing and held out his hand. With a sigh, Percy dug out his wallet and handed Jason a small stack of ones. Without so much as a "thanks, dude," Jason headed over to the dancer.

Percy slouched in his seat, trying to avoid everyone's gaze. A few dancers eyed him with interest, but since he made no move to offer them money, they moved on. Deciding he might as well try to relax, Percy went to join Jason at the dancer's stage. He tossed a few singles at her for good measure, and because he had to admit she was talented. Maybe not as acrobatic as Thalia, but still, Percy could never do anything of the sort. He doubted he would even be able to get off the ground, much less move like she was.

The song ended and Thalia collected her tips, gave a small bow, and clicked offstage. Jason's dancer blew him a kiss, hopped off her stage, and walked away, pausing to collect one last bill from him.

"Lovely girls, the Hunters," Jason said with a sigh, leaning back in his seat.

Percy made a noncommittal noise and tapped his shoe against the glitter-embedded black floor. The music in the club was varied in style but pretty good, he had to admit, even if not all of it was quite to his taste.

Jason, for his part, seemed to be trying to decide which dancer to patron next. Percy couldn't blame his indecision. The girls were all gorgeous, though no two looked alike. The only thing they seemed to have in common was athleticism and the ability to walk regally in six-inch silver stilettos.

Percy looked over at the staircase in time to see Thalia leading Luke upstairs by his tie.

"I think I need a drink," he said.

Jason suddenly looked nervous. "You go ahead. I'll just take whatever."

Percy gave him an odd look. "What's the matter? Why can't you just go to the bar with me?"

Jason shifted uncomfortably. "The barmaid and I…we don't get along."

"Hey, you're the one who dragged me here. The least you can do is buy me a drink. C'mon."

He set off toward the bar and Jason followed, albeit reluctantly. The bartender, a pretty girl with dark eyes and long, dark hair braided over her shoulder, was busy wiping down glasses when they arrived.

"Hey," she said. "Can I get—oh." Her warm demeanor vanished when she laid eyes on Jason. "It's you."

"There's no need to be so rude," Jason said. "After all, we're paying customers."

"Let me remind you that I could have you tossed out in a heartbeat," she said sweetly. She turned to Percy. "What'll it be?"

"Don't I know you?"

"I'm Reyna," she said. "We may have met. Now, do you want something to drink or have you just come to harass me?"

"Um, no. Can I get two beers, please? Whatever you have on tap."

"Hmph," she said, but she pulled out a pair of glasses and began filling them.

"I still think you should bring Annabeth here," Jason said, his back pointedly turned to Reyna. "It would be a good bonding experience."

"Annabeth's already _been _here," Reyna said, the "you blithering idiot" all but audible at the end of her statement. "She dances here on amateur night sometimes." Oblivious to—or perhaps ignoring—Percy's openmouthed stare, she went on. "She's quite good, actually. Her song of choice is 'Fat Bottomed Girls,' if I remember correctly." She slid the drinks across the bar without looking at either of them. "Anything else?"

"I think we're good. Uh, thanks, Reyna." Seeing that Jason refused to engage her further, he slid a ten across the bar. "Keep the change."

"Yeah, sure." She turned her attention to wiping down the bar.

Recognizing a dismissal when he saw one, Percy got up and left the bar, Jason right on his heels.

"You owe me five bucks," Percy said. "And what was that about, anyway? Is she your ex?"

Jason rubbed the back of his neck. "Sort of. It's complicated." He looked over at Percy. "So your girlfriend's been hanging out here without your knowledge, huh?"

Percy rubbed his temples. "I don't want to talk about it. I don't even want to _think _about it."

Jason smirked. "I think it's kind of hot."

"You probably shouldn't talk about Annabeth like that," a quiet voice said.

Percy and Jason turned to see Nico, looking out-of-place and uncomfortable among the dancers and other patrons.

"Uh…Nico? Are you old enough to be here?" Percy asked.

"I turned eighteen a few months ago, so yeah, I am." Nico was dressed more casually than Percy would have thought acceptable, but maybe he got a pass because of his parentage.

"Take a seat," Percy said. "Do you come here often?" He noticed that several of the girls were eyeing Nico warily and giving him a wide berth.

"Sort of," Nico said. "But not for that reason!" he added angrily when Jason snickered.

Jason coughed, probably to hide more laughter, and looked around. "Where'd Luke go?"

"Probably off to get a private dance from someone," Nico said. "Have you seen Bianca?"

"Um, no," Percy said. "Does she work here?"

"Yes," Nico said, balling his hands into fists atop his jeans. "And she won't quit, no matter how much I ask her to."

"Isn't that kind of her choice? If she wants to work here or not, I mean."

Percy regretted saying so almost immediately; the look Nico gave him was so dark it made him squirm.

"Um, I mean…that's why you come here so often? To see your sister?"

"Yeah. To talk to her, if she's not too busy with…customers." He said the word like it tasted bad.

Jason, clearly bored with the conversation, rolled his eyes and turned to watch a curvaceous redhead sashay down the catwalk to the main stage.

"Piper would smack you cross-eyed if she were here," Percy said.

"Well, she's not, and this is going to stay between us guys, okay?" Jason threw back the last bit of his drink.

"Stay on my good side and quit taking my money and I'll think about it," Percy said.

"Some friend you are." Jason's gaze wandered around the club, sometimes lingering on this dancer or that.

Percy sipped his drink and watched the dancers as well, though not quite as intently as Jason. He'd just finished his beer and was vaguely wishing for another one when Jason spoke up.

"Hey, we know him," Jason said, gesturing across the club.

When he saw the person sitting at one of the stages and staring hopelessly at the dancer there, Percy's eyes bugged. Before he knew it, he'd dropped into the seat next to him. "Good _gods_, Leo, what are you doing here?"

"I could ask you the same thing," he said. "Don't you two have girlfriends?"

"People keep bringing that up," Jason complained, sitting on Leo's other side. "So what if we do?"

"Not all of us are so lucky," Leo said. "Is Reyna here tonight?"

"Unfortunately," Jason said. "If you haven't gotten your daily dose of ice princess, she's working the bar."

"No need to be so mean," a passing dancer muttered.

Jason snapped his fingers at her. "Hey, sweetheart—how much for a private?"

She gave him an icy stare. "Probably more than you can afford," she said, and strutted off.

"The dancers here sure aren't very friendly," Percy commented.

"Nah, they just don't take crap from anybody," Leo said. "They're plenty friendly if you're nice." He watched the dancer onstage flow like water around her pole to "Some Nights." He sighed wistfully. "Wish I had some singles."

Jason rolled his eyes and handed Leo a few bills. "Go make her feel special, Valdez."

"Weren't those my ones?" Percy asked as Leo walked away.

Jason waved a hand at him. "I'll pay you back."

"Yeah, right," Percy grumbled.

Jason just laughed. "You need to unwind, dude. Come on, I'll buy you a drink or two if you do the talking."

Percy sighed. He had never been one to hold his alcohol well, but he needed something to calm his nerves and drinking seemed like the most plausible thing in his current situation. "Fine."

"Back again, I see," Reyna commented, still pointedly ignoring Jason. "Can I get you anything?"

Percy was about to answer when Leo rejoined them. His face was red and he had a lipstick print on his cheek.

"You have got to be the easiest person to get money from," Jason said.

"When it's not my money, you bet," Leo shot back. He spotted Reyna and immediately changed his demeanor: he leaned casually against the bar and grinned when she glanced in his direction. "Hey, Reyna."

She just rolled her eyes. "Do any of you want anything?"

"Not right now," Percy said, ignoring Jason, who glared at Reyna.

Reyna glared right back. "Fine. Call me if you need anything."

"You two really need to work that out," Leo said. "You're cramping my style."

"You don't have a style, Valdez," Jason said.

"So you think. You should see me work when you're not around."

Percy rolled his eyes, wishing he'd taken Reyna up on her drink offer. He could use a distraction at that moment.

"Look who finally decided to join us," Jason said.

Percy turned to see Luke walking down the stairs, looking very pleased with himself. He spotted the small gathering at the bar and strolled over to join them.

Luke's hair was mussed and he was grinning. "Hey, boys. Hope you've been having fun."

"Clearly not as much fun as you," Leo muttered.

"Don't be a wet blanket."

"Are any of you going to buy something or are you just crowding up my bar for giggles?" Reyna asked, hand on her hip.

"Sorry, sweetheart," Luke said, giving her a charming smile.

Reyna was not charmed. "Get out of here, Castellan, and take your friends with you."

"Should you really talk that way to paying customers?" Leo asked.

Reyna just gave him a withering look, flipped her braid over her shoulder, and went to attend to a customer at the other end of the bar.

"Real friendly staff they have here," Percy commented.

"You just have to know how to deal with them," Luke said, herding them all away from the bar. "That being said—what are you idiots doing just hanging out at the bar? Go get a girl. You're at a strip club, for the gods' sake."

"I might if I had any money," Jason said with an overly-dramatic sigh.

"I might if you hadn't _spent_ all my money," Percy said pointedly.

Luke rolled his eyes. "You're all pathetic. Here, Grace. Pick a girl you like and spend some quality time with her." He tossed Jason a twenty. "I swear, you look like a bunch of dumbasses just sitting around."

"What about you?" Percy asked as Jason left. "What are your plans, now that you and Thalia have been, uh, reacquainted?"

"Me? I'm just getting started. In case you hadn't noticed, there's a shit-ton of sexy ladies here, and I'm going to make the most of it." He winked and sauntered off.

"Oh, this was a bad idea," Percy muttered. Movement caught his eye and he saw Leo sidling back to the bar, eyes fixed firmly on Reyna.

Before his friend could get himself into further trouble with the bartender, Percy caught his arm. "C'mon, Leo. Look, that dancer's really good. Let's go check her out."

Percy wasn't really interested in the dancer—though she was very talented. He'd spotted Nico sitting at one of the chairs around the stage, looking almost tense enough to be used as a pole himself.

"You do realize how uncomfortable you look, right?" Percy asked as he sat down, leaving a space between him and Nico just to be safe. Leo, Jason, and Luke filled in on either side of them.

Nico rubbed the back of his neck. "It's just—weird here," he said. "I don't like it."

"Yeah, I wouldn't have pegged you as the strip club type," Percy agreed. A hand brushed his hair and he looked up to see the dancer—a sleek, mahogany-skinned girl—wave at him from up on her pole. He handed her a few ones and she gave him a genuine smile before returning to her routine.

"What are you doing back so soon?" Leo asked, directing the question at Jason, who sat beside him with a disgruntled sigh.

"Dancer said I was getting too handsy," he grumbled. "She said she wouldn't call Lady A, but she'd have to cut our session short."

"Serves you right," Nico said. "Rule number one for patrons: Hands off; no ifs, ands, or buts."

"I just touched her waist," Jason complained. "I wasn't doing anything too horrible."

"Forgive me if I don't have much sympathy for you," a voice said.

Percy turned to see Bianca walk up beside Jason, a sardonic look on her face. She sat down between Nico and Percy with a smile. "Hey there."

Nico closed his eyes, like just looking at her was painful. "Bianca—"

She held up a hand. "We have this conversation every single time you come here. I'd like to skip it, just this once." She looked at Percy. "Hi, Percy. I don't think I've ever seen you here before."

"I was coerced," he said.

She raised an eyebrow. "Really now. Coerced into coming to a strip club. I can't imagine it was difficult."

"Oh, _man_," Leo said, staring at something to the left of Percy's head.

He turned to look and saw Reyna striding down the main stage's catwalk, but not Reyna like he'd seen her earlier that night. Now, she wore a black crop top edged with silver and matching bottoms, rounding out the ensemble with lace stockings held up with garters and, of course, the standard-issue silver heels. Reyna glanced at the DJ booth and nodded once. "Break You Hard" started playing.

Percy wouldn't have thought it would be a good song to dance to, but Reyna proved him wrong. He never knew she had such good rhythm—or upper body strength. She'd undone her braid for the dance, and he had to admit he liked the way her dark hair swept over her shoulders and swung against her back as she moved.

Though Reyna was a good dancer, the real treat was watching Jason's face. His expression went from startled to astounded and quickly became sulky. His snit deepened further when Reyna swung around the pole and blew him a sarcastic kiss.

"I didn't think she was a dancer," Percy said.

"She's not," Bianca said. "She's considering it, though, and Lady A lets her dance if it's quiet."

"Not that I don't enjoy your company, but shouldn't you be, like, dancing or offering private dances or something?" Percy asked.

Bianca gave him a small smile. "It's not like I haven't made any money already this evening," she said. Ignoring Nico's wince, she went on, "I go on the main stage in a little while. Until then, well…are you interested in a private dance?"

"No, he's not," Nico said forcefully before Percy could answer.

"I'll take it," Leo said. "How much?"

Bianca considered him for a moment, then said, "Twenty bucks, one song. Sound good?"

Leo pulled a twenty out of his pocket and Jason held up a hand. "Hold on. I thought you said you didn't have any cash."

"I said I didn't have any singles," Leo said. "I've got _some_ money."

"Clearly," Jason muttered as Bianca led Leo to the stairwell and up to the upper floor.

"What's up there, anyway?" Percy asked.

"The private dance rooms," Nico said tightly. "I'm going to kill him."

"How about you don't," Percy said hastily.

"Yeah," Jason said. "He's useful, even if he doesn't always seem like it."

Percy glanced at the staircase to see Luke coming back down it, looking very pleased with himself.

"These ladies, I love them," Luke said, swaggering back over to join them. A few buttons of his shirt were undone.

"You're burning through cash like you have it," Jason said, frowning at Luke. "You know rent's due soon, right?"

"Lighten up. I'll give you my half before it's due, don't worry." He looked up at the main stage and his eyes widened slightly. "_Damn_, she is good," he said as he watched Reyna finish her routine. "I never knew she had moves like that."

"You come here every week and you've never seen her dance?" Jason asked.

"I've been…otherwise occupied," Luke said evasively. "Hold on a second, I'm going to see if I can land some time with her." He pulled out his wallet and made a beeline for the curtained-off hallway that led to the dressing room. Reyna was barely two feet out of the doorway when he pounced.

"Hey, sweetheart—" he said, a bill already in his hand.

"You can stick that twenty where the sun don't shine, Castellan," Reyna said, striding right past him and heading for the bar again. "I don't do privates and you know it."

Luke pulled a face at her retreating back and cast around for something else to occupy him. Percy suppressed a roll of his eyes and returned his attention to Nico and Jason, who were deep in conversation about having sisters who worked at the club.

"It's not like it's all that bad," Jason was saying. "I mean, it could be a lot worse."

"Still, though," Nico said. "I'm just not comfortable with this. I've told her that."

"This is a really high-end place. Bianca's lucky Thalia found her and offered her a job before a seedier club did."

"Well, sure, but—wait, _Thalia _offered my sister this job?"

Sensing trouble on the horizon, Percy broke in. "Let's not discuss that here," he said.

"Percy's right," Jason said. "We've got a host of half-dressed pretty girls around us. And I stillhaven't gotten a lap dance." He raised an eyebrow at Percy. "And neither have you."

"Annabeth probably wouldn't like that too much," Percy said nervously.

"She doesn't have to _know_," Jason said, exasperated. "What's the point of coming to a strip club if you aren't going to get even one private dance, anyway?"

"Um…enjoying the company?"

Jason snorted. "That's cute. Come on, there has to be at least one girl here you like."

"Well, I mean…she's really good," Percy said absently, watching the dancer on the main stage knock her heels against the pole in time to "Any Way You Want It" before launching into a truly impressive aerial display of windmills, splits, and other moves Percy couldn't even name.

"You want me to get you a private dance from her when she's done?" Jason asked.

Beside him, Nico snorted. "Good luck," he said. When Percy and Jason turned to look at him quizzically, he explained, "That's Zoë. She's been here since this place opened, practically, and she can afford to be picky."

"But this is _Percy_ _Jackson_," Jason said. "She should pay _him_ to give him a lapdance."

Though she couldn't have possibly heard him, Zoë glared in Jason's direction before returning her attention to her routine. Nico didn't say anything, only gave Jason an I-told-you-so look.

"So much for having it any way you want it," Jason muttered.

Zoë's dance ended soon after and she stretched gracefully from her pole, collecting her tips. From what Percy could see, there were a lot.

"I told you she was popular," Nico said, as if reading Percy's mind.

Rick Springfield's "I Get Excited" began playing as Leo rejoined the group at their table. "Bianca's on," he said. Percy noticed his tie was missing but decided not to comment on it.

"There she is," Jason said, gesturing toward the dressing room. Zoë strode out, head held high, ignoring everyone except her fellow dancers. "Better make your move, Perce."

"I don't know," Percy said. Girls as a whole made him more than a little nervous, and girls who looked like they could kick his ass without half trying made him extra anxious. "Maybe Nico has a point."

"Oh, go on," Jason said. "Here, I'll buy you a couple shots of vodka. That'll give you some courage."

_Like Reyna'll let you buy anything, _Percy thought, but refrained from voicing.

"I wouldn't go near her," Leo said. "She looks like she could take off your head with one of her heels if she wanted to."

Percy took a deep breath. "Not helping, Leo."

Bianca walked back over, a little flushed and breathless but grinning. "You guys sure I can't get you anything?"

"Bianca, I'll take that dance now," Percy said before the words really registered in his head.

Even she looked a little surprised. "Really?" Then she recovered and said, "I mean, great! Come on, I'll take you upstairs."

Jason wolf-whistled as Bianca started to lead Percy away, making the latter blush a little. He carefully avoided looking at Nico, who was no doubt glaring daggers at him.

Once they'd climbed the stairs and Bianca had shut the door of the room, she gestured to the plush seat situated near the wall. "Make yourself comfortable. We can just wait until the next song starts. It shouldn't be long."

Percy settled himself on the silver-cushioned chair, already antsy.

Bianca dimmed the lights and walked over to stand in front of him. "Okay, here's the deal: no touching allowed. You're a really nice guy and I'd hate to have to call Lady A on you, so hands off, okay?"

"Deal," Percy said.

Bianca cocked her head, listening to the music being piped through the room. "Oo, 'Birthday Cake,'" she said. "I like this one."

"Um," Percy said as he gripped his knees. He hoped his palms weren't sweating too badly.

Bianca looked him over and pursed her lips. "You're not very relaxed," she said, her hands on his shoulders and her hips already starting to sway back and forth. "Don't worry. Annabeth won't smell me on you or anything. I'm sure she's fine with this. After all, she dances here sometimes."

"It's not Annabeth," he said, trying not to look at any of Bianca's exposed skin—of which there was quite a lot.

Bianca considered a moment as she put one heel on the top of his seat. "It's not Nico, is it?"

"I would really rather not discuss your brother while you're giving me a lapdance, thanks."

"Sorry," she said, but she was grinning. "Seriously, though, you should relax. I don't bite—that's Thalia's thing."

The alarmed look on his face made her laugh. "I'm kidding," she said. "Well, mostly. Luke would know better than me."

Her statement didn't do much to help the somewhat-traumatizing mental images now running rampant through Percy's head. Bianca had to fully settle herself in his lap before he focused back on her.

"You're not paying attention," she said, sounding a little disapproving. "I feel bad taking your money if you're not enjoying yourself."

"I'm enjoying myself," he assured her. "I promise."

"Hm." She didn't look like she believed him. "Well, even if you're not, this is a short song. It's probably for the better, in your case."

"Um."

Bianca smiled and then leaned back, sweeping first one hand and then the other to the ground. Percy had to appreciate the core strength it took to do something like that—if he attempted anything of the sort, he'd probably fall flat on his face. He glanced down at her, saw how her fishnet top stretched over her stomach, swallowed, and quickly looked away.

Bianca gracefully pulled herself back up using nothing but her own abs, her dark hair falling over her shoulder. "Song's almost over," she murmured. "You doing okay?"

"I, uh…erm?"

She laughed. "Good to know." The song ended and Bianca slid neatly away. "Here, I'll take you out," she said.

Percy followed her out of the room and down the stairs, determinedly keeping his eyes trained between her shoulders. He felt better once they were back in the club's main area; it had more distractions.

"Um, thanks, Bianca," he said, handing her an extra five as a tip.

"No problem," she said, expertly arranging it in her garter. "Have fun, all right? Maybe I'll see you later." Before he could react, she kissed him on the cheek. Then she clicked away, waving at him over her shoulder as she did.

"You look like you're having a good night."

Percy jumped and turned to see a very familiar redhead grinning at him from the DJ booth. "Rachel? You work here?"

"Part-time," she said. "It gets me out of the house, so to speak."

"Are you…like Reyna?"

"You mean, do I dance? Nah. I'm not nearly that coordinated. But I like this job. The girls here are really friendly."

"If you say so," Percy muttered.

"Rule number two for patrons: the dancers don't have to be nice to you if you're rude to them." She readjusted the claw clip that pinned up her hair. "By the way, did you know Annabeth likes to swing by here?"

"So I've been told," he grumbled. "What sort of tunes do you play?"

She shrugged. "Whatever the dancers want, usually. I mean, they have their main dance songs and I have a short playlist of their favorites, but they can request whatever they want." She gestured. "Looks like your friends are getting ready to take off."

He looked in the direction she'd indicated to see Jason half-dragging Leo away from a disgruntled-looking dancer. The former looked around, caught Percy's eye, and gestured for him to come over.

"I'll talk to you later, Rachel," Percy said.

"Sure thing."

Percy made his way over to Leo and Jason, the former of which looked a little more tousled than he had previously.

"This is what happens when you fall for a bartender," Jason griped. "You spend a million dollars on drinks, get hammered, and then start to break the rules."

"I'm not that bad," Leo protested. "Lemme go."

"Shut up, Valdez. You want to get us kicked out?"

"We're taking off, I suppose?" Percy asked.

Jason grimaced. "We'd better. Have you seen Luke?"

"Not recently."

Jason swore. "He's our ride! How are we supposed to—?"

Percy cleared his throat and pointed over Jason's right shoulder, where Luke was again descending the stairs with Thalia right behind him.

Jason grumbled under his breath but said, "Quick, grab him before he disappears again. I don't want to get kicked out."

Percy waved to catch Luke's eye but only succeeded in getting a few odd looks from nearby patrons. Exasperated, he put his fingers in his mouth and gave a short, sharp whistle that made everyone on the lower floor turn in his direction. Thalia was the first to spot him, and he gestured her and Luke over.

"We need to take your favorite customer away now," he said.

Thalia smirked. "Probably just as well. I think he's almost out of cash."

Luke gave her a look of mock hurt. "I'm one of your best customers," he said. "Shouldn't I get at least one or two freebies?"

Thalia's snort clearly indicated how likely that was. "You're one of my regular customers, honey, but who said you were one of my best?" She winked at Percy and added, "Enjoy your night," before sauntering off.

"Damn," Luke said, his gaze following Thalia as she strutted through the club. "What I wouldn't give to—"

"All right," Jason cut in. "I know you like her and all, but she's still my sister. Also, I think Valdez might hurl, so the sooner we get him out of here, the better."

"If you toss your cookies in my car, you get to walk home _and _clean it up, understood?" Luke said.

"I'm fine," Leo said, though he looked a little woozy. "Broke, but fine."

Lady A was still at the door when they left, Jason and Percy half-carrying Leo. "Have a good night," she said. Percy could have sworn he saw a half smile on her face.

"Goddammit, Valdez," Jason grumbled as they stepped into the chilly night air. "You spent all my money—"

"You mean _my _money," Percy said.

"—and I didn't get a single private dance tonight. Not one."

"Quit your bitching; you'll be back again next week," Luke said. "Do we have everyone?"

"Yeah," Percy said. "Plus a couple extra."

"You should've left me there," Nico groused.

Jason ignored him and rubbed his hands together. "That was fun," he said, "even if I didn't get everything I came for." He glanced at Percy and grinned. "I say next time, we bring the girls."


End file.
